In our previous blog post regarding the not ticking off the Japanese, we went into general cultural faux pas that those who are here simply for a vacation might run into; but what if you’re here not for pleasure, but for work?

Or worse, what if you suddenly get assigned a position at a Japanese branch of your company?

Your entire world is going to get flipped upside-down as you attempt to navigate a potential cultural minefield of what you can and can’t do, and what you should and shouldn’t.

That’s why, in part two (and three and four and five and…?), we’re going to cover the do’s and don’ts, and the shoulds and shan’ts of the Japanese business world, starting with the basics.

Getting your foot in the (sliding) door

(ア) Greetings

When starting at a Japanese company, greetings are going to be a significant part of establishing a respectful and professional presence.

And there’s no greeting more important than your first; first impressions are everything, as they say.

First day greetings in particular will be formal, with a common choice being "Hajimemashite" (はじめまして), meaning "Nice to meet you," followed by your name and a slight bow as a sign of respect.

It’s important to address colleagues with their titles and last names, followed by -san (e.g., Tanaka-san).

In the morning, you’ll likely hear "Ohayou gozaimasu" (おはようございます), which means "Good morning," but the evening gets slightly more complex.

Typically, when someone is leaving for the day, they will say "Osakini shitsureishimasu" (お先に失礼します), meaning "Pardon me for leaving ahead of you (everyone staying behind),” to which everyone else would reply, "Otsukaresama desu" (お疲れ様です), meaning "Thank you for your hard work" as a sign of appreciation.

(イ)    What to do and not to do on a first day

On your first day at a Japanese company, it’s important to approach everything with respect and humility. Arriving early is a must, as punctuality is highly valued in Japan and ten minutes early is often considered “on time.”

While you should bow when meeting a colleague for the first time as mentioned in the previous section, this isn’t going to be required every single time.

However, something that you will be expected to do every time is address people with their last name followed by *-san* (e.g., *Yamamoto-san*).

If someone hands you a business card, hold it with both hands, carefully examine it, and then place it in a cardholder or off to the side rather than simply putting it directly into your pocket.

And you shouldn’t feel worried about asking questions on your first day; no one is going to expect you to know all the ropes on the first day, so ask politely if you’re unsure about anything and try to observe the flow of the office to understand proper behavior and etiquette.

On the other hand, there are pitfalls you’re going to want to avoid on your first day, like being overly informal. You’re going to want to avoid using first names or casual language unless explicitly invited to do so, and even then, you’ll want to keep in mind that you’re in a professional setting.

Outside of emergencies, try to avoid interrupting conversations or speaking too loudly, as a quiet, calm demeanor is generally going to be preferred in a Japanese office.

And given how Japanese work culture feels positively about humility, you’re going to want to stay away from being too self-assured or overly confident.

The last, and maybe most important, is to understand that you’re going to want to keep your personal life and professional life as separate as possible. It might sound cold, but the general expectation is that you aren’t going to bring problems from home into the office.

(ウ)    How to handle disagreement

One other important point to note is the difference in how disagreement is handled in the West versus in the East.

While differences in opinion with regard to how things can be handled at Western companies can at times be lively, that is almost never the way things are handled at Japanese companies.

Disagreement in general is something you’re going to want to try to avoid early on, as even if your way of doing things is legitimately better, your input may not be welcome, particularly if you are just getting started at a company.

If you are making suggestions, it’s important to be as polite as possible and to also understand that rejection at a Japanese company is typically going to be far less direct than at a Western company.

A suggestion to your boss that might be met with a flat “No” or “There’s no way we can do that” at a Western company will likely be met with a “Sore ha muzukashii desu ne” (それは難しいですね), meaning “That’s going to be difficult.”

If you find your boss telling you this or something like it, they’re not inviting you to take on whatever Herculean task you may have suggested, they’re simply giving you the Japanese equivalent of a hard no.

While you might, in that moment, feel tempted to argue the merits and benefits of your idea, doing so is only going to make you seem difficult to work with. In these sorts of situations, while it might not feel great in the moment, a strategic “Aah, sou desu ka” (ああ、そうですか), meaning “Is that so?”, style retreat is going to do far more to help your ideas gain wider acceptance at the company in the future than anything else.

Summary

While this all might seem like a lot to take in, it’s important to understand that no one is really going to expect you to be perfect on your first day, first week or first month, even. You’ll find that simply maintaining a polite and professional demeanor, even if you don’t immediately know all the rules of making a mistake here and there, will do a lot to let your co-workers know that you’re doing your best.

In this post, we covered the basics of do’s and don’ts and the shoulds and shan’ts of the Japanese business world. Keep an eye out for the next part of this series!

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